Study of HHS Programs Serving Human Trafficking Victims

Overview

This project will develop information on how HHS programs are currently addressing the needs of victims of human trafficking, including domestic victims (i.e., citizens and legal permanent residents), with a priority focus on domestic youth.  The project will provide in-depth and timely information to help HHS design and implement effective programs and services that help trafficking victims overcome the trauma and injuries they have suffered, to regain their dignity, and become self-sufficient.  Components to the study include a comprehensive review of relevant literature, studies or data (published or unpublished) related to providing services to victims of human trafficking (including domestic victims); nine site visits to geographic areas (e.g., counties) containing at least one HHS- or federally-funded program currently assisting victims of human trafficking; at least three brief reports highlighting interesting, innovative, and/or effective experiences, knowledge, or information resulting from one or more of the site visits; and a final report providing a synthesis of all information obtained under the study.  The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which manages HHS programs serving trafficking victims, is partially funding this study with ASPE.

Recent Publications:

• Addressing the Needs of Victims of Human Trafficking: Challenges, Barriers, and Promising Practices, July 2008
  This Issue Brief focuses on the needs of victims of human trafficking and the services available to meet those needs. Additionally, it discusses challenges and barriers to providing services to victims, international and domestic, adults and minors, and highlights innovative solutions to these challenges and promising practices to overcome barriers. Throughout the brief we make distinctions, where appropriate, between international adult victims, international minor victims, and domestic minor victims.
• Case Management and the Victim of Human Trafficking: A Critical Service For Client Success, June 2008
  This Issue Brief focuses on the importance of case management in working with international victims of human trafficking from the point of identification until a victim reaches self-sufficiency. This brief looks at the characteristics of an effective case manager along with the benefits not only to victims, but also other key stakeholders, including law enforcement and service providers. This brief also examines the challenges to effective case management and the implications for victim recovery.
• Treating the Hidden Wounds:  Trauma Treatment and Mental Health Recovery for Victims of Human Trafficking, March 2008.
  This Issue Brief focuses on the trauma experienced by most trafficking victims, its impact on health and well-being, some of the challenges to meeting trauma-related needs of trafficking victims, and promising approaches to treatment and recovery.  While this issue brief touches on trauma across human trafficking populations, it has a special emphasis on trauma resulting from sex trafficking of women and girls.
• Identifying Victims of Human Trafficking: Inherent Challenges and Promising Strategies from the Field, January 2008.
  This issue brief focuses on the identification of international and domestic victims of human trafficking in the United States.  Critical to identifying someone as a victim is knowing first who meets the legal definition of a trafficking victim.  This brief presents the inherent challenges to identifying victims based on the legal definition, as well as promising strategies undertaken by law enforcement, service providers, and other organizations to identify and reach victims.
• Finding a Path to Recovery:  Residential Facilities for Minor Victims of Domestic Sex Trafficking, September 2007.
  This issue brief focuses on minors who are victimized by sex traffickers across the U.S.  It is intended to provide practical information about the characteristics and needs of these minors and describe the type of residential programs and facilities currently providing services for this population.  The promising practices discussed here were identified by directors and staff of residential facilities housing and serving minor victims of domestic trafficking, juvenile corrections facilities, programs for runaway and homeless youth, child protective services personnel, and law enforcement.

Project Officers:
David Nielsen and Jerry Silverman
ASPE

How to Obtain a Printed Copy

To obtain a printed copy of these reports, send the title and your mailing information to:

You may also print the PDF version.

Where to?

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Home Pages:
Human Services Policy (HSP)
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Last updated:  08/08/2008